58 comments:

MTG
said...

Substitute one déjà vu moment for another, ATNS. As one major case of false arrest and fabricated evidence comes off the boil, let us have a generous serving of another equally notorious false arrest and fitting up, namely the Silcott malfeasance.

There's a lot more to this story that hasn't been told, including the Silcott involvement and the details of PC Blakelock's injuries. I for one hope that there is enough evidence in this latest arrest to at least put this dreadful episode partially to rest.

MTG - Silcott was aquitted because some stupid over zealous detectives decided that despite there being sufficient evidence against Silcott et al for PC Blakelocks murder, they tried to falsify more evidence against him to 'make sure' they were convicted. Make no mistake, Silcott was involved in PC Blakelocks murder but ultimately those who tried to falsify additional evidence to sure up the case have betrayed Keith Blakelock, and him only.

I reckon it will be to late now for a really safe conviction. Obviously someone really knows what happened, but unless they can come forward with irrefutable evidence, I feel that Ben may well be right.

I am not sure there was any actual 'fixing'. I thought it was more to do with the fact that the detentions and interviews, held pre PACE were judged against the Codes of Practice that came in after the interviews, but before the trial.

Every time I read or hear about this case I shudder at the horror of it all. 25 years on and still the tears come. Then the thought was that could have been my dad now it could be my hubby. Am I alone in wondering (still) how anyone can do that to another person???

"Am I alone in wondering (still) how anyone can do that to another person???"

Not at all.

Excuse my cod-psychology but here's how I see it. There is a certain seam of society that sees the government and any "authority" as oppressors. We are lucky in this country that this isn't usually the case but that doesn't stop some people getting all worked up. These people see the police as the front line of the oppression. In their eyes the police can do no right.

A small number of people within this community take the whole thing a bit further and think that anyone who dons the uniform is therefore "fair game". Probably the only thing stopping these people doing nasty things week-by-week is the fear of getting punished. During a riot the chances of being caught doing something nasty diminishes hugely, and therefore my guess is that a particular element would see a riot situation as the perfect chance to do something they would like to do more often.

If the senior management had used plastic bullets and|or more aggressive tactics maybe PC Blakelock would be alive today. That why we now have short shields! What is true is the fact already stated Sillcott was not found innocent his conviction was found to be unsafe!!!Big difference!! Does he know it?

It's also important to remember the little known fact that the ANIMALS that destroyed Blakelock actually managed to sever his head. I strongly suspect that we had our eyes on the right person(s) the first time around, but a court says they didn't do it, so there! Just like a court said Ali Dizaei wasn't a corrupt arse back in the early naughties. All innocent men. Doesn't mean they didn't do it though.

BinarySurfer: I like to think that the majority of people do have morals and a basic level of decency. It's only a minority (albeit a significant one) which would take the opportunity to do bad things when the lights were out.

Sierra Charlie - Your optimism is refreshing, but i don't subscribe to that view these days i'm afraid. Call me an old cynic.

MTG - Well done, you managed to spot a spelling mistake for a post on the internet, that was typed on a blackberry on a moving train while drinking a coffee. I hope it made you sweaty with excitement!

Don't you have some work to do for "Concern4Justice" (oh no - you apparently don't know how to spell Four)? The website hasn't been updated in 2 years.

Alternatively don't you have the names of more unhelpful public sector workers to record in your "database"? It might get larger than 20 if you do!

Failing the above there must be a Daily Wail post you haven't yet commented on from the last 5 years.

As a last resort, surely you will be attempting to stand again as an independant candidate in the next Kirklees election since you failed so spectacularly in 2007? Since you only gathered 85 of 1686 votes cast, you might want to put a bit more effort in this time.

As you can see "Dr Gray" of Almondsbury you are neither anonymous, nor very clever, nor very successful.

I would suggest you put some more effor into your own life and goals before spending time using spell checker to pick apart peoples posts on the internet.

Area, a timely reminder of one of the two rare moments where, on hearing the news, I was thereafter incapable of eating my dinner - the other was on hearing of the sinking of HMS Sheffield.

Like so many other celebrated cases, there was evidence and there were facts and, because of judicial rules and legal interpretations, not all of the latter could be presented as the former. At Hendon, my class was treated to the `behind the scenes inadmissible facts` from one of the SIO's, surrounding the James Hanratty "A6" murder. Hanratty was hanged, his father somewhat tragically spent the rest of his life at Speakers Corner and elsewhere proclaiming his sons innocence, as did many other great liberal minds. Only very recently did the science of DNA confirm the jury was correct. At the trial, fingerprint `facts` could not be used as `evidence` even though the expert would swear to the 11 characteristics they had lifted from the murder weapon were `unique`. In the justice game, points mean prizes and, like you, I hope the latest news means we can get our eyes back on the prize.

Were you saying that the most polite police officers you've met were the ones that were unable to string a sentance together? Or is it begrudjing respect for the fact that I am able to ridicule what you say without casting a slur on you personally? If so, then I take that as a compliment.

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